How our Electoral System skews Public Sentiment

The result gives the Conservative group total control over decision making at a time of unprecedented cuts to funding and reductions in services.

But it's a result that only half the people who voted in the district wanted. As the graphic below shows, what people actually chose was far more nuanced and complex.

If this was translated into seats under a proportional system, the council would look more like this:

Conservatives 20

Liberal Democrats 9

Labour 5

Green 2

UKIP 2

Independent 1

Of course, there are other factors in play. For example, people knew the electoral system when they voted and will have selected their prefered candidate accordingly. Looking at things from district level doesn't take proper account of locally popular candidates including independents. The views of nearly a third of people isn't known because they didn't vote at all - perhaps more would have chosen to do so under a system that better reflected their opinions.

But the most important fact remains, the Conservatives overwhelming dominance of the council for the next 4 years is a result of the voting system. It is not a reflection of popular sentiment in East Cambridgeshire.